2017 Toyota 4Runner Road Test

The Verdict

The 2017 Toyota 4Runner is an affordable, no-frills, off-road-capable SUV with a hint of weekend-toy fun factor.

Versus the Competition

If the 4Runner TRD Off-Road were a Jeep, its capabilities and luxuries would fall somewhere between the primitive-but-capable Jeep Wrangler and the more refined Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The 2017 Toyota 4Runner is slowly becoming one of a kind thanks to a focus on off-road capabilities and ruggedness rather than the refinement, passenger comfort and crash avoidance technologies that are prioritized in competing models. If you'd like the latter, there are a plethora of car-based SUVs out there, like the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot, to get the family around in comfort. The 4Runner, on the other hand, has hardware better suited for weekend camping trips, mountainous exploration or, as I found, oddly good maneuvering of an urban landscape.

What makes it so capable? The 4Runner retains body-on-frame construction, a once-common chassis type that's given way to lighter — and less-capable — unibody SUVs (commonly called crossovers or car-based SUVs)

Toyota's Keep It Wild discount applies to all 2017 4Runners and was initially introduced in 2014 to celebrate the 4Runner's 30th anniversary, but Toyota kept the discount going. It continues to discount the base and TRD Off-Road by $500, the SR5 and TRD Off-Road Premium $750 and the Limited by $1,000.

How It Drives

2017 4Runner Video

The Toyota 4Runner lineup is a little more confusing with the introduction of the TRD Off-Road. That's not to be confused with the TRD Pro - which is the meaty off-road version of the SUV. Let's take a look at the differences.

Latest Reviews

(5.0)

Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro's are amazing

by TRDProCementBro from Houston, TX on February 23, 2018

The 4Runner is already an extremely reliable Toyota that really retains it's value. But to be able to use cars.com to find a TRD Pro in the cement grey color that I desired was the cherry on top. I ... Read full review

(5.0)

Christie

by Christie from East Grand Forks mn on February 13, 2018

I love the comfort and how quietly and smooth driving it is. The optional 4 wheel drive is extremely useful in northern Minnesota. All of the options of a luxury car in a SUV. Read full review